Some Valuable Software Engineering Interview Feedback I recently received
When I talk about interviews with the software engineering community, arguably the #1 aggravation they have is when they interview for a position, are rejected but given no feedback. It's disrespectful and the whole experience adds up to being a waste of time. Trust me, this is disappointing not only for the engineer but also for me, the recruiter. Quite often, we receive just a blanket note stating that the engineer wasn't a match and won't be moving forward. Or we receive nothing at all.
So, in the manner of sharing some words with the community, I wanted to share this feedback that I recently received from an Engineering Leader here in Wellington. For all software developers out there, this is pretty much the most you can ask for. I laud this engineering leader who took the time to write down these words because you feel the sincerity in his message. Also, his feedback is really critical when you start to analyse it.
And that's exactly what we're going to do...
In the note below, the Manager references the candidate's solution not being "overly optimised". Okay, in street language, what I think he means is that he was hoping the engineer's solution would have had a little "pop" to it. I know several firms in town who tell me that when the engineer gets on the whiteboard, they want the solution to have some pop. I guess you could call it ending with an exclamation point. In this particular case, my client felt that the engineer's solution was lacking this dynamic. Yes, it was the correct solution but it left the interviewers wanting more and expecting more.
Also, notice the reference to the depth. Companies love to gauge how much depth an engineer goes into his/her solutions. But guess what? It's not even about the solution. It's also about the conversation, the dialogue and the vocabulary. The interviewers are gauging the depth of the candidate in all these areas. They are adding everything up to see how low you really can go.
Here is the last important note to consider in this feedback. This is the moment where a philosophical difference will emerge between how the software engineer thinks he/she did on the interview compared to the final decision of the interviewing team. This is critical. Can you imagine how many times I have heard candidates tell me that they felt the interview went really well yet the company comes back saying they are going to pass? I call this dynamic the Interviewing Feedback Delta and the two primary variables of this delta are depth of the answers and the optimisation (pop) of the whiteboard solution:
1. How deep you felt you went compared to what they thought.
2. Your solution. Did it have some pop, in more politically correct; was it truly optimised to their liking?
Finally, here is the feedback from this Engineering Leader. I greatly appreciated these words and closure even if it didn't result in a positive outcome:
Jamie - to give you a little more feedback, we thought ‘John’ was a great guy, very personable, easy to talk to, but we could just never get him to drill down below the surface on any of the questions we asked. For example, he talked a lot about enjoying the responsibilities of being a senior developer, and when asked how he did that, apparently gave a very brief, glossy explanation with no real specifics. Another example, one of the teams asked a programming question, and he got it right, but with a very basic, not overly optimised solution. Quite honestly, we were expecting a little more.
The moral of the story is that every company that I have ever worked with has a different level of engagement as to time and effort into how much feedback a candidate would receive. This is dependent on initial CV submittal to face-to-face interviews. You could argue the point that it is the recruiter’s role to ensure a certain level of feedback. Personally, I always request feedback after every stage of the interview process. Not only does it build rapport with the client but also it will strengthen the relationship with the candidate to ensure that everyone is on the same page throughout the process.
If you are looking for some advice on your recruitment strategy or are looking for a new role. Feel free to get in touch at [email protected] and feel free to leave a comment about this article below.
Thanks
Jamie
Software Leadership
8 年I have seen a dynamic at interviews where the interviewers ask a question, the candidate answers and there is a mismatch in what interviewer expected to hear. However, the candidate is totally unaware that something was missing and hasn't had any kind of feedback to indicate more explanation was wanted. The interviewers move on. At the end of the interview, everyone politely shakes hands and say they'll be in touch. At the post-interview briefing, the interviewer says something along the lines of "well he totally got that wrong, didn't even see what I was really asking him about". The reason he didn't see what you were asking was that you weren't clear about what you wanted in the first place. You set a trap and waited for him to fall in. And, once the trap was sprung you didn't have the decency to tell him he was in a trap. It is as if the interviewer thinks he is a driving test examiner, carefully recording all the faults during the examination but never, ever, hinting that the candidate is getting it wrong. With a driving test, at least, you find out straight away that you failed. With an interview, it can take a few days. It is despicable behaviour by the interviewers. They should be having a dialogue with the candidate not a finals examination with results posted on the notice board 3 weeks later. As a candidate, you need to realise the interview is a two-way street. You might want the job but do you really want to work with these sorts of people? The interview is your chance to find out. If you feel you are secretly being marked down as the interview proceeds you need to start asking "is that what you were looking for" kind of questions of those interviewing you. In fact, you should ask "is that what you were looking for" questions even if you don't get that feeling. Better to find out now that you aren't giving them what you want instead of 3 days later when the recruitment agent breaks the bad news to you with zero feedback.
People | Projects | Delivery | Tech
8 年Great article, Jamie. I remember how I felt when someone first gave me specific feedback on why I wasn't going to be hired - not only did I appreciate it but I always had a positive view of that company. When I interviewed people I felt it was my responsibility to pay it forward - as much as possible I'd give candidates real reasons and if they weren't a fit for our company I'd recommend other places to look. It does take more time and attention but it's totally worth it.